Cookson - Fukuda manufacture high quality copper foil for printed
circuit boards at a new factory in Tyneside. The factory produces
1500m³ per day of wastewater containing
copper, nickel, chromium and zinc. This is treated prior to sewer
discharge to recover as much of the water as possible and to
meet the rigorous consent limits set by the receiving authority.
Process feasibility studies, detailed process design, equipment
specification, tender evaluation and commissioning test supervision.
The treatment scheme comprises three sections. Section 1 is
a two stream strong cation/strong anion deionisation plant which
treats a combination of 880m³/day
of dilute rinses and 200m³/day of
mains water make up to provide deionised water for process use.
Section 2 is a two stream strong cation/weak anion deionisation
plant dedicated to treating 260m³/day
of rinse water containing citrate chelants which must be separated
from the heavy metal containing streams.
Section 3 is a chemical treatment plant which treats 220m³/day
of concentrated wastes, such as plating bath dumps and spent
regenerants, by reduction of chromate to chromium, precipitation
of heavy metals with caustic soda, filtration and final polishing
using chelating ion exchange resins. Sludge is dewatered in a
chamber press for off site disposal.
The final wastewater discharge to sewer is 620m³/day.